S14.E15: Eat Your Flowers; Surf Band; YouthForia, Big Mouth

[JTMacc99]

 

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First into the Tank is a baker from Los Angeles whose creativity blossoms with her desserts made with a unique ingredient. An entrepreneur from Fairfax Station, Virginia, pitches a convenient solution aimed at those who enjoy staying active yet protected under the sun; while an entrepreneur from San Francisco hopes to revolutionize the beauty industry one blush at a time with her clean and sustainable makeup brand. Last into the Tank is an orthodontist from Brooklyn, New York, whose passion for oral health includes a one-of-a-kind product that targets oral and gum care.

   

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In a "Shark Tank" update, mother and son Grace and Manuel Rojas from Houston, along with investors Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner, update us on Foam Party Hats, handmade foam hats and party favors to bring the fun to any event. 

The Sharks in this episode are Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec and Kevin O'Leary.

 

 

[CrazyInAlabama]

Sharks-Mark, Barbara, Kevin, Robert, and Lori

Eat Your Flowers- a bakery that uses edible flowers.  Cakes and other dessert treats, hand decorated with edible flowers.   The treats are gluten free, and vegan.   $2.2 million lifetime sales, this year on track to do $1 million.   Margins are fantastic, a box of cookies made for $7, sold for $50.   Seller is doing very well at her current price points, and Sharks talk her out of coming out with a cheaper line for Whole Foods.   

My question is, $50 for a few cookies, people actually spend that?  

Barbara makes the deal.

Surf Band Pro-Sun protection held in a band.  A wrist band holds sun screen that dispenses when you push a button.  Only been manufacturing for a month, and sold about 200 so far.  Sharks say though product is versatile for sun screen, sanitizer, lotion, etc, so the name of the product is wrong.     Packaging in cheap looking, doesn't say what the product does, and the name would make people think it's only for surfers.     

No deal. Greg just won’t stop talking to the Sharks. 

Youthforia! -sustainable beauty brand of plant-based cosmetics.  A makeup brand so clean you can sleep in it.  She slept in the makeup last night.   The blush is color changing blush oil, a liquid that becomes your perfect color for your skin tone.   Sales are $2 million since last April.   Direct to consumer is 50%, on Amazon, and will be launching at Ulta, and JC Penney beauty stores.  Kevin offers, and Mark offers.  I agree with the Sharks, if the blush oil suits everyone, then why make other tint bases for it?   Mark goes out, and then jumps back in, cutting Kevin out.    If this make up is good for all ages, and skin types, then why call it Youth foria?  The name needs to be different, and stop only pushing it for the youth market.   On Amazon they offer the original blush oil, and three other shades.  

Mark makes the deal, along with his two daughters, and wife.

Big Mouth Toothbrush-Oversized head electric toothbrush.  The seller is an orthodontist.   It cleans your teeth better and faster than other electric toothbrushes.    The wider head covers more surface area while you brush.  There are five settings on the brush.   It brushes teeth in half the time. Made for $14, sells for $69, sells online, and at her office.   The Sharks say the area of the market is dominated by two big companies.   She needs more staff, and space to package and send out.   Barbara tells her not to go retail.   

Kevin is the only Shark left, with his usual royalty deal.  Seller makes a counter offer, and Barbara jumps on it. 

Barbara makes the deal. 

Update:  Foam Party Hats, Mark.   They make custom novelty hats, and now are in Party City stores nationwide. They make the hats in the U.S.  

Edited March 4, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[Quickbeam]

I didn’t think the makeup was all that….I can think of a whole lot of products in that space. I thought the big toothbrush was nonsense. I don’t want to wrangle something that size to brush my teeth. The cookies were pretty but spendy. I liked the sunscreen dispenser best. It would be handy. 
 

Sometimes Cuban just seems to let the others chit chat and then swoop in at the end. I find him annoying. Like he cares. 

[EtheltoTillie]

Kevin got pushed out at the end twice last night.  The makeup lady was clever in asking him for a royalty deal.  Mark was out and then came back in!

 

[DEL901]

With the makeup and her bragging how the one blush suited everyone….that’s been around for decades.   

As for the $50 cookies…I guess she could do two different “collections” like designers do…. Because the market for $50 is going to be limited.  

[tired and hungry]

I didn't really like the attitude of the cookie lady. It felt like she was talking down to everyone & didn't really want to be there. Plus that dress was hideous. The pitch did make me crave for some butter cookies though!

Surf Band Pro guy really needed to work on marketing. You could not even tell what it was or what it did on the packaging. Also, I don't think anyone asked how much sunscreen the band can hold. If you have to keep reapplying that much, does it really make sense to have it if its only good for 2-3 uses at a time before you need to refill?

I've definitely seen that color changing blush around on the internet. It was one of those viral products. Pretty sure most of her sales may have come from people constantly buying it coz they saw their favourite influencer try it. But as someone else pointed out these color changing type products have been around for a long time. It's nothing new. Also, she mentioned you can sleep in the makeup but never mentioned if they would stain your pillows or sheets...

The dentist lady was nice. I typically don't like loud, over the top presenters but she genuinely seemed nice and I was happy she got the deal at the end.

[tired and hungry]

Forgot to add how all these pitchers come in with their stories by saying my ancestors/grandparents/parents left/escaped random country to come to america and they stuggled so much with only 10$ in their pockets but then they go on to say they got into really expensive Ivy League schools and then get their first job in these huge tech giant companies. It may be impressive and all but for the average person this seems extremely privileged.

(Sorry but my previous post was getting a bit long so I added another one for this random rant.)

[Bookish Jen]

Don't we have enough makeup lines already? Youthforia is just going to be another brand in an already oversaturated market. Plus, the products were so damn expensive.

Edited March 4, 2023 by Bookish Jen

[BusyOctober]

I thought the sunscreen band was pretty smart, but the guy was too scattered.  And his packaging looked like every tchotchke in a 7/11 or rest stop gift shop.  No indication of what the product was…looked like a silicone watch band…without a watch.  

Cookies and cakes looked gorgeous.  Very talented baker. I can see her success selling to the Kartrashian level rich people.  Another “look at meeee!!!  I have bespoke confections at my 4 year old’s Tea in the Tuileries bday party…in the actual Tuileries!!!”  Very pretty, but not in my budget.  

More “disrupter” makeup?  Pass. Sephora and Ulta are already bursting at the seams with vegan, plant based brands.

The orthodontist was a good presenter, and she and her mom overcame a lot of adversity.  But I don’t like the cartoon sized toothbrush.

 

[Madding crowd]

The makeup market is over saturated but I think the judges were off when they were upset because she was thinking of offering other shades. Makeup that adjusts to your skin tends to give a light, natural looking shade. Some people might want something more dramatic. Doesn’t mean the product doesn’t work. I wouldn’t buy the sunscreen watch because it doesn’t look like it would hold enough for a full application. I agree cookie lady seemed above it all.

[heatherchandler]

Awww I liked the sunscreen guy, I felt bad he was so defeated.  He definitely needed to rename the product.

[eel21788]

23 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Eat Your Flowers- a bakery that uses edible flowers.  Cakes and other dessert treats, hand decorated with edible flowers.   The treats are gluten free, and vegan.   $2.2 million lifetime sales, this year on track to do $1 million.   Margins are fantastic, a box of cookies made for $7, sold for $50.   Seller is doing very well at her current price points

Why are the snarks always so impressed when anyone mentions sales over $1million? Can they not do basic math? She would have sold 44,000 units total. I'm not impressed with that.

I also have to question her numbers to begin with: she did 430K in sales in 2020 + 750K in sales in 2021 and she is projecting $1million in sales for 2022. That means the lifetime sales number she gave them included her projected sales, not actual products sold. Since she actually made $1.18million in sales in 2020 and 2021, that brings her down to having sold 23,600 units during those 2 years. To meet her projected sales for 2022, she would only be selling another 20,400 units.

Can you keep a business afloat with that little in sales? 

[eel21788]

22 hours ago, Quickbeam said:

 I thought the big toothbrush was nonsense. I don’t want to wrangle something that size to brush my teeth.

Has Lori never seen an electric toothbrush before? Unless you're buying the low-end one, they all have multiple settings for brushing, massaging, sensitive, etc.

I would have liked to see some scientific evidence to show that The Big Giant Head (borrowed from 3rd Rock From the Sun) actually can remove more plaque than a small head that can really get in between your teeth and gums. Does it negate the need to floss like a Waterpik does? Also, as an orthodontist, she didn't mention whether or not The Big Giant Head would work on teeth with braces. I can't see how it would be able to get into all the crevices the way a smaller head would. I'm not convinced she is going to get a patent just for enlarging the brushing surface either.

My objection to her brush was the same as my objection to last week's "new innovative brushing method." How do you get that thing far enough into your mouth to get to your back teeth? I could never fit something that size in my mouth all the way to my molars; therefore, I'd be dealing with more plaque, not less.

Edited March 5, 2023 by eel21788

[khyber]

The only thing I liked on this show was the flowered maxi-dress the cookie lady wore. I would buy that dress.

[seacliffsal]

It was either in the 1980s or 1990s that edible flowers were a huge thing, so I didn't find anything innovative in the first presenter's product other than the high price ($50 for a small box of cookies? No.).  I didn't think the cookies were especially pretty.

The only product I thought was unique and worthwhile was the sunscreen bracelet.  Needs a new name and new packaging (as others have already noted).  It's cringey though when people continue to stay after being asked several times to leave.

Seen the make-up "innovation" many times before.

Agree with others that the toothbrush head seemed way too big and awkward.

[Welshman in Ca]

On 3/4/2023 at 5:35 AM, tired and hungry said:

Forgot to add how all these pitchers come in with their stories by saying my ancestors/grandparents/parents left/escaped random country to come to america and they stuggled so much with only 10$ in their pockets

 

Wouldn't that apply to a lot of people who's family tree in America goes back more than 100 years, maybe less.

[eel21788]

1 hour ago, seacliffsal said:

It's cringey though when people continue to stay after being asked several times to leave.

The snarks need to stop going out and then deciding they're back in again. They've done that enough times that I can see how someone would think "if I just keep pitching with great determination, they'll eventually change their minds."

Edited March 5, 2023 by eel21788

[aemom]

Wow, the cookies were pretty, but crazy expensive.  I would never spend that kind of money and I agree with the other posters, that she seemed rather hoity-toity.

For Christmas, my son bought me a silicone watchband kind of thing to hold hand sanitizer.  I don't think that his product is big enough to hold a full application, but it definitely was a cool thing.  However the name was useless - I thought that Surf Band Pro was going to be some kind of surfing video game/app.

The makeup just wasn't interesting to me.  I never wear blush because I have Rosacea, I am never going to change my lipstick brand, and I don't wear mascara or foundation much anymore.  I agree with an earlier poster that YouthFolia sounds like it's geared for teens/young 20's, but the price point doesn't fit that group, so hard to say how this will go.

I really like the orthodontist, but I would never use that toothbrush.  I go out of my way to find smaller toothbrushes because I have a small mouth and struggle with a regular, full-sized toothbrush.  Her brush is a nightmare to me.  Brush your tooth well with any kind of toothbrush using a flouride toothpaste, and maybe invest in a Water-Pik.  You're good to go.

Edited March 7, 2023 by aemom
Typo

[bilgistic]

I haven't worn blush since high school, and that was 30 years ago.

I've watched enough baking competitions to know that edible flower decorations aren't new. She has to buy them somewhere, right? So you're paying for her packaging? $50 for six 12 cookies is absurd.

Edited March 6, 2023 by bilgistic

[eel21788]

47 minutes ago, bilgistic said:

I've watched enough baking competitions to know that edible flower decorations aren't new. She has to buy them somewhere, right? So you're paying for her packaging? $50 for six cookies is absurd.

When buying a dozen:

Her: $4.17 per cookie

Crumbl Cookies: $ 2.66 per cookie

Edited due to new information added below.

Edited March 5, 2023 by eel21788

[aemom]

40 minutes ago, bilgistic said:

I've watched enough baking competitions to know that edible flower decorations aren't new. She has to buy them somewhere, right? So you're paying for her packaging? $50 for six cookies is absurd.

I thought it was $50/dozen, not for 6, so I just checked out her website, and it is about $50/dozen.  Still too expensive.

But so much of her stuff is sold out.  She has some cakes and pies that are $125 and they are sold out too!  Are there that many rich people in the world?

[KaveDweller]

On 3/4/2023 at 9:49 PM, eel21788 said:

My objection to her brush was the same as my objection to last week's "new innovative brushing method." How do you get that thing far enough into your mouth to get to your back teeth? I could never fit something that size in my mouth all the way to my molars; therefore, I'd be dealing with more plaque, not less.

I could never fit it in my mouth either. My dentist has actually told me to get a child-size toothbrush because my mouth is small and it will fit/clean better. But I did really like that present and wish her success. I would imagine a larger toothbrush does work for some people.

I would never spend $50 on a dozen cookies. I can't imagine how it could be worth it.

[Vermicious Knid]

Local ABC affiliate decided to show the NBA G League on Friday in this timeslot. Last time they bumped Shark Tank for sports the new episode was shown Saturday at 11:30p. Not this time, and wasn't available On Demand either. Had to watch on abc.com which is really annoying. 

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 Margins are fantastic, a box of cookies made for $7, sold for $50. 

Thus ensuring anyone with common sense who learns this will stay far away. I'm not going to enrich the owner/inventor at such a ridiculously inflated markup. I might be interested in the makeup because I have no natural coloring and no undertones. I tend to refer to my untanned skin tone as 'fish belly white'. My ph also shifts colors on my lips, like I can't wear a true red because it turns very bright magenta. Took me years to find a coral-ish shade that turns to a red. But again she's got a $6 product sold for $36. Even if it was in my budget I'd refuse on principal. I've also barely bothered with any makeup since the pandemic and I'm still using masks half the time.

I too have a small mouth, coupled with large teeth. My dentist always has to marvel over this when he sees me. I need to have  periodontal cleanings and have learned to stave off gum disease with an electric toothbrush, floss pics and regular visits to the dental hygienist. I would try the Big Mouth but not at $69. I use the CVS knockoff of the Oral-B that's about $10, plus the 30% or 40% off weekly coupon. 

[dogdays2]

We see a LOT of presentations for food and beverage products.  However, I don't recall many (some, not many) "updates" that show success with food products.  As the sharks often say, it's a tough market to break into.  

Personally, I'm tired of food, tired of makeup and tired of clothing.  But that's just me.

There must be thousands (if not more) people out there with potentially great, investable inventions.  We get so few truly great products on this show.  Makes me think the producers are looking more at WHO will be good on the show and make the sharks look good vs. WHAT product(s) have the potential to be great.  That's TV for you.

 

[aemom]

The update about the foam hat company.

I'm glad that the mother/son have been able to start a business that supports them and allows them to hire others and give them jobs, but the business itself really bugs me.

This is a business where virtually everything they make gets used for a day and then gets thrown out.  You can't recycle those hats.  It just seems like such an incredible waste - aren't we supposed to be trying to move away from products like that?

[eel21788]

14 hours ago, KaveDweller said:

 My dentist has actually told me to get a child-size toothbrush because my mouth is small and it will fit/clean better.

I use a child-size brush too, not just for the fit but because it also has softer bristles. That is something she isn't offering with her contraption.

14 hours ago, KaveDweller said:

 I did really like that present and wish her success

However, I do have to wonder about the ethics of selling her own invention to her patients in her office. I don't think the AMA allows doctors to do that. Maybe the ADA has a different opinion. 

[bilgistic]

3 hours ago, aemom said:

The update about the foam hat company.

I'm glad that the mother/son have been able to start a business that supports them and allows them to hire others and give them jobs, but the business itself really bugs me.

This is a business where virtually everything they make gets used for a day and then gets thrown out.  You can't recycle those hats.  It just seems like such an incredible waste - aren't we supposed to be trying to move away from products like that?

This is exactly how I feel about that company. They make actual garbage. The giant 38th birthday cake hat made me cringe. (What 38-year-old celebrates their birthday like that?) It's going to be used for one day and then tossed. (Guess how I feel about most weddings.)

I can sort of see the hats being used repeatedly for live sports events (like the cheese hats that the whatever team fans wear (I hate sports and don't care what team it is)), but it's otherwise such incredible waste. They can't really be sanitized for use like in a costume shop or kids' party place, so I hate them. I will die on this hill.

[Welshman in Ca]

16 minutes ago, eel21788 said:

 

However, I do have to wonder about the ethics of selling her own invention to her patients in her office. I don't think the AMA allows doctors to do that. Maybe the ADA has a different opinion. 

Maybe not but they do allow doctors to prescribe medications that the doctor is getting paid to push by the drug companies by way of inducements and a toothbrush pales in comparison.

[DEL901]

46 minutes ago, Welshman in Ca said:

Maybe not but they do allow doctors to prescribe medications that the doctor is getting paid to push by the drug companies by way of inducements and a toothbrush pales in comparison.

Just an aside…I’m in Canada and we get the oddest ads for meds.  The Ozempic ads (I mention this because I use it to manage my diabetes) have a bunch of happy people saying that they use Ozempic and another person saying they are going to try it.  But no where does it say what it for.  Advertising signage is the same.  Happy people.  Drug name.  URL.  Not one word on what it is for.  

[Shellie]

5 hours ago, bilgistic said:

I can sort of see the hats being used repeatedly for live sports events (like the cheese hats that the whatever team fans wear (I hate sports and don't care what team it is))

Green Bay Packers :-)

[eel21788]

On 3/5/2023 at 2:04 PM, aemom said:

Brush your tooth well with any kind of toothbrush using a flouride toothpaste, and maybe invest in a Water-Pik.  You're good to go.

If always heard that the technique is more important than the tool. If you're brushing using whatever the latest scientifically proven method is, it doesn't matter if you're using the low-end manual brush or an expensive electric one. 

[aemom]

6 hours ago, eel21788 said:

If always heard that the technique is more important than the tool. If you're brushing using whatever the latest scientifically proven method is, it doesn't matter if you're using the low-end manual brush or an expensive electric one. 

I that's probably true. 

The Water-Pik is definitely helpful if you have unremovable orthodontics. 

[eel21788]

12 hours ago, aemom said:

The Water-Pik is definitely helpful if you have unremovable orthodontics. 

In which case, she should probably be buying Water Piks wholesale and reselling them to her clientele for retail prices if she is looking to make a profit instead of claiming her invention is superior without any research studies to back that up.

[DEL901]

12 hours ago, aemom said:

The Water-Pik is definitely helpful if you have unremovable orthodontics. 

Can 100% attest. 

[seacliffsal]

Although the Sharks are all fabulously wealthy and good business people, I sometimes think they are really naive about actual life.  They seem to think high price points for some products are affordable for people and that we all have a need for what many of us think are ridiculous products.  They also don't realize what products an average person may actually want/need (I still can't get over how they dismissed The Ring Doorbell/camera because they all had doormen or gated communities).  Every week it seems like the products that I am most interested in are those they immediately dismiss and vice versa.

[eel21788]

4 hours ago, seacliffsal said:

Although the Sharks are all fabulously wealthy and good business people, I sometimes think they are really naive about actual life.  They seem to think high price points for some products are affordable for people and that we all have a need for what many of us think are ridiculous products.  They also don't realize what products an average person may actually want/need (I still can't get over how they dismissed The Ring Doorbell/camera because they all had doormen or gated communities).  Every week it seems like the products that I am most interested in are those they immediately dismiss and vice versa.

They're also incredibly unaware of what is already available at market which is a huge pet peeve of mine. As soon as the pitcher says he has no competition, the snarks believe that the market is really cornered when in actuality there are already many products similar or even exactly like it. Either the producers should check if a product is truly unique before the presenters are invited onto the show, or the snarks should be allowed to do a little due diligence of their own before they start making offers. (I know there is some DD following the offer before it comes to fruition; however, that seems to be limited to checking that the books balance and not about the claims that were made about the product itself).

[Tango64]

22 hours ago, eel21788 said:

They're also incredibly unaware of what is already available at market which is a huge pet peeve of mine. As soon as the pitcher says he has no competition, the snarks believe that the market is really cornered when in actuality there are already many products similar or even exactly like it. Either the producers should check if a product is truly unique before the presenters are invited onto the show, or the snarks should be allowed to do a little due diligence of their own before they start making offers. (I know there is some DD following the offer before it comes to fruition; however, that seems to be limited to checking that the books balance and not about the claims that were made about the product itself).

So much agree. A lot of times the sharks ask if there is competition and the pitcher responds with "There's nothing out there that is exactly like my product." They mumble the "exactly" part and if questioned further (they usually aren't), they will point to some meaningless distinction and the sharks are too far removed from real life to know it's meaningless. 

I suspect most of those deals fall apart in the real vetting after the taping, when the sharks have them checked by people with some clue about actual life.

[EtheltoTillie]

On 3/6/2023 at 1:04 PM, eel21788 said:

 

However, I do have to wonder about the ethics of selling her own invention to her patients in her office. I don't think the AMA allows doctors to do that. Maybe the ADA has a different opinion. 

The AMA is essentially a trade group that lobbies for doctors' interests.  ( I think the ADA is the same.)  They have no control over what doctors do.  Many doctors don't even join.  The AMA appears to have an aspirational ethics code. 

Whether it is legal to sell the toothbrush to patients would depend on state and federal law.  Probably it's legal.  Is it "ethical" for the dentist to try to make extra money by selling something to her patients?  Why not, if it's not a bad product.  

Edited March 11, 2023 by EtheltoTillie

[CrazyInAlabama]

Every practitioner I go to sells something.    The Derma office has two sections, the dermatology section with sking checks, etc. and has a second side that's actually has a medical spa with fillers, Botox, etc. and beauty treatments.  My dentist office advertises all kinds of their products (aligners, electric toothbrushes, etc.) and service like whitening, and implants. 

The family practice I went to a couple of towns ago, had brochures and posters for the fillers she would do, but it was at another office that she worked at part time doing injections.   

It's very common.   

Edited March 11, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama